Duplicating process and preparation of master copies for use therein



Sept. 2, 1941.

A. HESS ETAL DUPLICATING PROCESS AND PREPARATION OF MASTER COPIES FOR USE THEREIN Filed June 29, 1939 APPLY ADHESIVE DESIEN IN MIRROR REVERSE OF ORIGINAL TO MASTER SHEET 2 Sheets-Sheet l DUST FUSIBLE POWDER COMFRISINEI DYE UN MASTER SHEET CARRYING DESIGN AND REMOVE NON-ADHERINE POWDER HEAT MASTER SHEET T'O 'FUEE POWDER THEREBY FORMINE EMBOSSED FUSED DESIGN Ewell/07's? Sept. 2, 1941. A. 1.. HESS ETAL 2,254,483.

DUPLICATING PROCESS AND PREPARATION OF MASTER COPIES FOR USE THEREIN Filed June 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mama NIQF y Z475 zw ah zgm atented ept. 2, i941 TATES PATEN DUPIJCATIN G PROCESS AND PREPARATION OF MASTER COPIES FOR USE THEBEIN Arthur L. Hess, Cincinnati, Ohio, and so Bjorksten, Chicago, 111., assignora to Ditto, In-

corporated, Chicago, 111., a

Virginia corporation of West Application June 29, 1939, semi No.,281,'i64- 13 Claims. (01. si-sm) water or alcohol soluble dyes, difllculties have been encountered in obtaining a sufliciently heavy dye ink deposit. Large amounts of ink tend to fill in the fine characters whereas small amounts of ink give masters of insumcient lasting and copying qualities.

One embodiment of this invention is a master copy sheet having a design thereon formed by fusing a powdered dye composition. The master sheet, depending upon whether the design formed thereon is a positive or mirror-reverse, may be used either as a hectograph master or a liquid process master. In either case an improvement in the number and sharpness of copies is obtained over that procured by ordinary masters.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following detailed description ,pnogresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1' is a diagrammatic flow sheet of the process of this invention involving the use of volatile solvents;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the master copy sheet for use in the process of this invention illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 8-3 of Fig. 1, showing the master sheet with the design thereon prior to fusing. the powdered dye composition;

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 2, showing the embossed characters afterfusion of the dye composition.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character I indicates a sheet' to be used as a master copy sheet, having thereon an embossed design formed of a layer 2 of a fused dye composition I and a layer 3 of an adhesive composition.

The master copy comprising the sheet 1 and fused embossed design is prepared by applying that the transfer composition including the adhesive, is generally freefrom carbon. or other pigment. In applying the design by. means of such transfer sheets, the sheet I is placed against the coated surface of the transfer sheet (not shown) and the material to be reproduced is impressed on the exposed surface of the sheet I by drawing, writing. typing or the like. Such impressing results in the formation on the other surface of the sheet I of a mirror-reverse copy represented by deposited adhesive (shown in 3) due to the transfer of a portion of the adhesive from the transfer sheet to the sheet i.

As soon as the adhesive representation has been deposited on the surface of the sheet 5 hereinafter called the master copy sheet, a fusible powder comprising a soluble dye is dusted over the adhesive design. Surplus powder which does not stick to the design may be readily removed by brushing, blowing or other fashion Y The master sheet carrying the design of fusible powder indicated by 2 of Fig. 3 is then exposed to sumcient heat to melt the powder. The powder will then flow together to form fused raised charactgs of considerable thickness as shown in 2 of g. 4.

The master copy sheet carrying the embossed heat flowed design is then contacted with copy sheets moistened with a volatile solvent for the dye of the design, thereby transferring a portion of the dye to the copy sheets to form the design thereon in positive characters. By successively contacting and removing copy sheets in this manner, a large number of copies having excellent sharpness of character may be obtained.

In carrying out the process of the invention, the character of the fusible powder is important. Generally we prefer to employ a powder from example by sifting. A fairly uniform particle size, say between 50 and 200 mesh, generally gives to the sheet I by using a pressure or impact type g transfer sheet similar to a carbon sheet, except or melting without decomposing. Preferably,

the best results. The powder should contain a substantial proportion of soluble dye and must fuse or melt at a temperature below the decom position temperature of the dye. In order to decrease the melting point of the composition, the dye is mixed with another fusible material. It may be mixed with a fusible substance in which it does not dissolve to form a mechanical mixture, but preferably it is mixed with a fusible substance in which it will dissolve to form a solid solution. vIt is contemplated that the powdered composition may consist of the dye alone where the dye itself is capable of fusing other words while the ink is still wet.

Erample I Parts by weight "Standard santo rsin-,a hydrocarbon resin sold by the Monsanto Chemical Company, obtainable by polymerization from cracked gasoline under influence of aluminum chloride in accordance with Thomas and Hochwalt Patent 1,836,629--. 50 Crystal viol v 50 Example II Parts 'Nuba No. l"-a resinous hydrocarbon pitch sold by the Neville Company Methyl viole 70 Example III v Parts Burgundy pitch 40 Crystal viole 60 Example IV Parts Burgundy pitch-' 20 Gum dammar 20 Beeswax Crystal violet 60 The ingredients of the above formulae are intimately mixed together and made into a. fine powder. The ingredients may be mixed together saunas of trimethyl mm propane and 70 parts by weight of crystal violet.

Among the dyes contemplated for use in this invention are the hectograph and spirit process duplicating dyes mentioned in Hoskins Patent 2,088,417. and the less commonly used dyes described in Brower 2,040,075. The solvents likewise may be any of the solvents used in liquid by stirring the dye in powdered form into the heatedfluid resin. The mixture is allowed to cool and the cake thus obtained is powdered or granulated and preferably sifted to produce flne 200 parts of urethan are melted in a water bath and 250 parts of crystal violet are added.-

on cooling the mix solidifies and becomes brittle and easily pulverizable. It-is-then eomminuted by means known to the art so as to produce a powder or granulation of say between 50 and 250 mesh and substantially free from dust. The powder thus obtained is dusted on printed copies while the characters are still adhesive, or in The sheets are warmed so as to fuse the powder and produce embossed characters. thus obtained more than one hundred and fifty very strong copies are. obtainable in each run by the application of moistened copy sheets as i the usual wet process reproduction.

It has been found that the urethans when heated above their melting point have the property of giving highly viscous solutions of aquaous or alcohol soluble dyes such as those commonly used in hectograph and liquid process r.lu--' From masters process duplication, including those mentioned in Brower 2,040,075 and 2,077,874, and in the copending application of Bjorksten, Serial No. 244,055, filed December 5, 1938.

The adhesive composition for retaining the powdered dye composition may be of any desired composition so long as it issuitable-for the purpose intended. It may be colorless or have dye incorporated therein. It may be any of the slow drying inks used in printing such as. for example, one of the linseed oil type printing inks. when a transfer sheet is used to produce the adhesive design, an adhesive composition such as described in Neidich Patent 2,095,075. made up of a combination of beeswax and rosin in proportion of mo parts of beeswax to 8 parts of rosin,- is suitable. v

The masters produced according to this procedure can be used for hectograph duplication processes, as well as for the liquid process duplication primarily contemplated in the above examples. v

While there have been shown and described certain embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modi- ,a coherent mass a fusible powder in the form of a raised design on the master sheet, said powdler including an. alcohol soluble dye and uret an.

2. In a reproduction process wherein a solvent is used to transfer a design on a master sheet to a plurality of copy sheets, the step which consists in subjecting to heat sufficient to flow into a. coherent mass a fusible powder. in the form of a raised design on the master sheet, said powder including an alcohol soluble dye and trimethyl cyclo propane.

3. The process of duplicating which comprises contacting the side of a master sheet carrying plication. These solutions harden to extremely 3 alcohol soluble duplicating dyes are the normally solid allwl cyclo hydrocarbons,

A suitable solid solution which is made similar.

to the urethan compositions and which gives a design formed of a fused dye composition with a copy sheet moistened with a volatile solvent for the dye of said composition, said dye composition comprising an alcohol soluble dye and a binder which fuses at below the decomposition temperature of the dye.

4. The process of duplicating which comprises contacting the side of a master sheet carrying a design formed of a fused solid solution of an alcohol soluble dye composition with a copy sheet moistened with a volatile solvent for the dye of said composition.- said solid solution having the property of fusing at below the decomposition temperature of the dye.

5. The method of preparing a master copy sheet. which comprises producing on a master sheet asimilar results is composedof 30 parts by weight 7 copy of the matter to be reproduced, said copy being represented by deposited adhesive, applying a fusible powdered dye composition containing sufiicient alcohol soluble dye for multiple reproduction in admixture with a substance which ing the master sheet to heat sufiicient to cause the powdered composition to fuse together and form embossed characters corresponding to the adhesive representation.

6. The method of preparing a master copy sheet which comprises producing on a master sheet a copy of the matter to be reproduced, said copy being represented by-deposited adhesive, applying a powdered fusible solid solution of an alcohol soluble dye stufl which solid solution fuses at below the decomposition temperature of the dye stuff to the surface of the mastersheet having the adhesive representation thereon so that the powdered dye composition adheres to the representation, removing the surplus powdered dye composition and applying heat to the master sheet to cause the powdered Composition to fuse together and form embossed characters corresponding to theadhesive representation.

7. The method of preparing a master copy sheet which comprises producing on a master sheet a copy of the matter to be reproduced, said copy being represented by' deposited adhesive, applying a powdered fusible dye composition comprising an alcohol soluble dye and urethan to the surface of the master sheet having the adhesive representation thereon so that the powdered dye composition adheres to the representation, removing the surplus powdered dye composition and applying heat to the master sheet to cause the powdered composition to fuse together and form embossed characters corresponding to the adhesive representation.

8. The method of preparing a master copy sheet for use in multiple reproduction processes which comprises producing on a master sheet a copy of the matter to be reproduced, said copy being represented by deposited adhesive, applying a powdered fusible dye composition comprising an alcohol soluble dye and trimethyl cyclopropane to the surface of the master sheet having the adhesive representation thereon 'so that the powdered dye composition adheres to the representation, removing the surplus powdered dye composition and applying heat to the master sheet to cause the powdered composition to fuse together and form embossed characters correspending to the adhesive representation.

9. A master copy sheet for use in duplication comprising a sheet having a design thereon formed of a fused solid solution of an alcohol soluble dye stuff, said solid solution having the property of fusing at below the decomposition temperature of the dye. V

10. A master copy sheet for use in duplication comprising a sheet having a design thereon formed .of a fused solid solution of an alcohol soluble dye stufi in a substance selected from the group consisting of urethans and cycloparaflines.

11. A master copysheet for use in duplication comprising a sheet having a design thereon formed of a fused solid solution of an alcohol soluble dye stuflin urethan.

12. A master copy sheet for use i duplication comprising a sheet having a design thereon formed of a fused solid solution .of an alcohol soll uble dye stuff in trimethyl propane.

13. A master copy sheet for use in duplication comprising a sheet having a design thereon formed of a fused dye composition containing su'fiicient alcohol soluble dye to effect multiple reproduction, in admixture with a normally solid substance which fuses at below the decomposition temperature of the dye.

L HESS, sonar: monxs'rrm. 

